The 2026 Emmy nominees in the categories of best variety series and reality competition will be revealed on the Today show on Wednesday morning.
Earlier this year, the Emmys merged the best scripted variety and best talk series Emmys categories into the revived best variety series category. The split ultimately moved perpetual winner Last Week Tonight With John Oliver into the scripted variety category with long-running sketch series Saturday Night Live, the most Emmy Award-winning show in TV history. Instead, the best talk series category was made up of shows with interview segments or panel discussions, with the 2025 trophy in that category going to CBS’ Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which has since been canceled. The final Late Show episode aired on May 21.
Meanwhile, Oliver’s Last Week Tonight won best scripted variety series in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
The variety series change came as the number of submissions in the scripted variety and talk series categories declines. Additionally, the TV Academy is classifying the variety series category as an “area award,” meaning it could produce multiple winners.
Last year’s reality competition winner was The Traitors, topping the category for the second year in a row.
